Rejecting the Light
by Lady Dragon Daiken Priestess
Summary: The sequel and conclusion to this tale. DARK, shonen-ai. What happens when Ichijouji Ken's son is kidnapped, and his only hope of recovering his son is with his ex-boyfriend?
1. Rejecting the Light

Rejecting the Light _**Disclaimer**: Digimon isn't mine...Toei created an awesome show and Saban twisted it. And yet...the fandom survives! *cheers* I'm just a poor twenty-something writer, so suing me will get you my small writing collection and several disks with great Digimon and Gundam Wing stories on them. _

**A/N**: Several pairings suggested ahead, along with much angst, and little happiness. 

### **Rejecting the Light  
**by: **Lady Dragon**

Years pass, as they are want to do; children growing towards adulthood. Maturity comes and goes, behaviors perfected at a young age unconsciously become a guiding force. These facts were just as true for the Digidestined as the rest of the human race. 

Over these ensuing years, the Chosen children had grown, drawing closer together in some ways and losing touch in others. Relationships blossomed all around, whether they be ones based on friendship or true love. The most shocking of these revolved around Daisuke Motomiya and Ken Ichijouji. Not only had the bitter rivals become friends, with the young redhead listening in morbid fascination as the amethyst eyed boy had confided that the Emperor wanted to return and he was scared he wasn't strong enough to stop him. 

Daisuke had listened without laughing and stubbornly informed his friend that he wouldn't let him; the Emperor would have to go through Daisuke to steal the reformed boy back. Their unprecedented friendship changed after their digital partners learned to jogress; once they'd felt the other's heartbeat in perfect unison with their own they'd hesitantly started to date. 

And Ken had seemed to blossom under Daisuke's loving care. Gone was the guilt that had marred his handsome features whenever he remembered his past. Instead, he was filled with a boundless determination to do whatever it took to make his beloved happy; regardless of the personal cost. 

No matter how pure one's intentions are, that kind of attention can lead anyone astray. The closer they grew to each other, the further away the violet eyed teen felt from his savior, and the harder he tried to please, regardless of his personal desires. The final straw had come after Ken's nineteenth birthday when his boyfriend had blithely announced they were going skiing. Unfortunately Ken had hesitantly made plans for the weekend, hoping the redhead wouldn't be too upset for his presumptuousness. 

And now he was paying for his selfish act. Or to be more precise, _Daisuke_ was paying for his selfish desire to help Elekmon get some much needed sleep by taking care of the young hatchlings. _I should have been with him! If I had, he never would have fallen over that cliff!_

It didn't matter that Stingmon had helped him get his beloved to the hospital; though it was pure luck that it had been midnight on Earth and no one had seen the powerful insect landing in front of the emergency room entrance, or that the doctors were sure the redhead would make a full recovery once he regained consciousness. The only thing that mattered were the harsh words they'd exchanged when Ken had forgotten his place and what he owed his beloved Daisuke for keeping the darkness in his mind and heart at bay. 

Ken closed his eyes fighting back the memories. He reached out, taking Daisuke's hand to entwine their fingers together, and for the first time he could remember, started to pray. _You have to wake up, Daisuke. I need you...God, why didn't I ever tell you how much I need you?_ His deep amethyst eyes restlessly shifted over the pale redhead's face, mentally cataloguing every bump, bruise and scratch as he looked for any sign the teen might be finally waking up. 

A voice called softly from the doorway. "Any changes?" 

He shook his head, the chin length blue strands brushing against his jaw. "He still hasn't moved. I just want him to open his eyes..." 

"He'll wake up. Daisuke's too stubborn to let something as silly as a coma keep him in bed for long." Kari tried to smile reassuringly, but all the former Emperor could see was the worry in the Child of Light's eyes. 

_**It's entirely your fault he's here. You can't deny it, Ichijouji. Just like you can't deny me. It's only a matter of time now...**_

_No...no, go away. I don't want you here!_ Ken shook his head wildly, trying to deny the taunting laughter echoing in his mind; jerking his head up when the younger girl asked in confusion, "Why don't you want Chibimon to see Daisuke? He's worried too, you know." 

"What?" 

Kari sighed. "I asked you if I could bring Chibimon by tomorrow. He swears we're not telling him something. Why don't you want him here?" 

"I'm sorry, Kari." the violet eyed teen apologized, running a trembling hand through his already rumpled hair. "I had my mind on something else." _Or someone else...but I can't tell her about **him**. I can't tell anyone. Only Daisuke understood...oh please wake up, Suke-chan! I didn't mean to fight with you!_ He ignored the whispered voice that called him weak and focused up at the girl still standing uncertainly in the doorway. 

"Ken, are you sure you're all right?" 

Putting on the smile he'd perfected almost as soon as his brother's funeral had ended, he nodded. "I'm just worried about him. You're right though. He'll wake up, and tell me I'm stupid for even worrying." 

"You should get some sleep. How long have you been here?" 

"I haven't been home." he finally admitted, fighting the urge to shuffle his feet, and stared down at his and Daisuke's entwined fingers. 

Coming to a decision Kari strode determinedly into the room and over to the ever-present bedside phone. Punching in the one phone number she could dial in her sleep she waited for someone on the other end to pick up. 

Ken glanced back up at her almost curiously, wondering who she was calling and almost smiled when Kari's face seemed to start glowing. _Must be T. K....I wonder why he's not here with her. They're usually inseparable...like we used to..._ Muffling a sob, he ruthlessly forced himself to stop that train of thought before _he_ picked up on it and stared blindly at the monitor that tracked Daisuke's heartbeat, completely tuning out the softly whispered conversation. 

"Hey, I'm glad I caught you. I know you're supposed to work today, but can you call in sick? Why? Ken hasn't left the hospital in six days. Yeah, I'm not surprised either, but I want to drag him away from here for a few hours. At least to shower and change, and we both know he won't leave Daisuke alone. You will? Thanks. Love you too. Bye." 

Kari hung up the phone and walked around the bed, affectionately touching the unconscious teen's hand as she did so, and crouched next to the violet eyed boy. "Ken?" She had to call his name twice more before he looked down at her, and she stared for a moment at the haunted look in his amethyst gaze. "Listen, T. K.'s on his way here, and then I'm going to take you home so you can change and get something decent to eat, ok?" 

"I'm not leaving him. What if he wakes up while I'm gone?" Ken squeezed Daisuke's hand convulsively, and a note of panic entered his eyes. "I need to be here with him." 

"You also need to take care of yourself. He's going to be pretty upset if...I mean when he wakes up and he sees _you_ sick from exhaustion." Kari smiled gently. "And I'm not taking no for an answer. If I have to, I'll drag you out. It'll only be for a few hours, I promise." 

Muffling a yawn, Ken stared down at her uncertainly. "You're sure it'll only be for a couple of hours?" 

Looking at the worried teen, Kari couldn't see a single sign of the Digimon Emperor, except for his blue hair. It was as if they were two totally separate people. Where the Emperor was cold, Ken was warm. Where the Emperor was cruel, Ken was kind. And most of all, where the Emperor was demanding and possessive, Ken was giving and generous. In fact, in all the time he'd been on their side, she couldn't once remember the teen ever saying no to anything one of their group asked of him: especially Daisuke. Kari was almost worried they'd been taking advantage of his unselfish nature, but she knew now was not the time to worry about that. "I promise." 

"A...all right. I guess I could bring a change of clothes back with me too." 

"That's the spirit. T. K. will call me if anything changes." She grinned suddenly. "That is, if he knows what's good for him." Kari sighed in relief when her teasing comment elicited a weak chuckle from her friend. 

_**I'm still waiting, Ichijouji. You can't fight me forever, and **_he's_ not around for you to hide behind anymore. I hope he NEVER wakes up. Then I'll be free, and you'll be the one locked away forever!_

As T. K. walked in, Kari sensed Ken shiver again, and she glanced at him worriedly. "Cold?" 

"No, I'm fine." Noticing the worry in her eyes, the former Emperor forced a reassuring smile. "Just thinking, that's all." He watched the anxiety leave her eyes and stood up reluctantly. "Since blondie's here, I'm guessing you're going to drag me out now?" 

T. K. mock glared at his friend before grinning cheerfully. "Yep! And don't worry, if he so much as loses an eyelash I'll page Kari." He sat down in a chair with an air of determination. _Nothing's_ dragging me away from this spot. You have my word. And...don't call me blondie." His blue eyes sparkled up at Ken, relieved when he too got the troubled teen to smile weakly. 

"I won't...blondie." The sound of a pillow hitting the door kept Kari giggling all the way to the elevator. 

~~~***~~~

The first thing he noticed, before he even opened his eyes was the soft soothing fragrance his bed gave off. Something deep inside told him he should know what the scent was, but for the life of him he couldn't place the first time he'd smelled the unusual, intoxicating odor. As he tried to figure it out, his vague curiosity turned into a blinding panic. _What's wrong with me? Who **am** I?_

"Ken, I think he's waking up!" he heard a childish voice exclaim, followed by the sound of someone hurrying over, and then a soft voice murmuring near his head. 

"Daisuke, if you can hear me, look at me...please?" 

The voice sighed in relief when he fluttered his eyes open to catch a glimpse of the most stunning pair of violet eyes he'd ever seen light up in relief so intense it was almost palpable. _Of course, since I can't **remember** anything, I wouldn't know that, would I?_ He ignored the microscopic voice that asked if it really mattered, since stunning was stunning. "Do I know you?" 

He watched as the young man's jaw dropped in disbelief, and squeak "Wh...what?" 

"Do I know you?" His gaze was captured by the adorable blue stuffed animal that was..._moving?_ He rubbed his eyes, glaring irritably at the I.V. in his arm before staring again. _Yep, it's moving. So's that giant...hermit crab? What is going **on** here? How can stuffed animals move?_

Jerking his gaze from the moving impossibilities, he peered hesitantly at the distraught teen who had pulled away from him with a horrified expression on his face. As he started to ask what was wrong, he heard the door open and a cheerful voice call out, "Ken? I brought something for Chibimon and Minomon to eat while we wait for..._Daisuke?_" 

The bedridden redhead's attention was immediately riveted on the beautiful girl who stared in stunned happiness at him. "H...hi. I guess you know who I am?" _His name's Ken. That's nice. Now if I can just learn who this angel is, things will be just about perfect...as long as she's single!_ "I hope you've been waiting for me?" 

He watched the girl dart a questioning glance at the boy she'd identified as Ken, who just shrugged and settled back in his chair, cuddling that giant hermit crab in what Daisuke would swear was desperation. Sighing, she looked back at the prone boy and smiled brightly again. "I'm so glad you're awake. We've all been worried about you, Daisuke." 

_That's the third time I've heard that...so either the both like me or..._ "Is...is Daisuke my name?" A light blush spread across his cheeks and he looked down at the blanket covering him, plucking at it nervously. "I know that sounds stupid." 

Peeking up through his lashes, he watched the angel glance at Ken again and reach down to pick up the wriggling stuffed animal before moving next to his bed. "Daisuke, do you remember _anything?_ What about Chibimon here?" She gently put the...the blue thing on his stomach and he couldn't keep himself from instinctively flinching away; though in a hospital bed he couldn't move very far. 

"No. What is it?" Fighting another blush, he looked up at the girl. "I'm glad you seem to know me though." A barely audible moan of agony came from Ken's general direction and both Kari and Daisuke glanced at the former Child of Evil; Kari's gaze full of worry, and Daisuke's with polite inquiry. They both watched as Ken jerkily picked up Minomon and hurried to the door where he glanced at the redhead sadly. 

"I...I have things I need to do. The hospital knows how to reach me i...if you need anything." His violet eyes ran over Daisuke's face, memorizing it before he slipped out the door. 

"Did I say something wrong?" He felt strangely unsettled at how the other teen had been staring at him, and he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling. Daisuke mentally shrugged the thought away. _I can think of much better things to think about than his gorgeous violet eyes. Like this angel..._

"I...you...Daisuke..." The girl sighed, looking rather helpless as she stared at the closed door. 

"I'm so glad you're all right now D'ske!" the stuffed animal exclaimed, darting forward to nuzzle his cheek. The girl muffled a giggle at the startled look on the redhead's face, and at how wide his liquid brown eyes got. 

"Who are you? Not only that, _what_ are you?" 

His only answer at the moment was the wounded look on the little blue and white face; a pain that strangely mirrored the expression on Ken's face before the older teen had left. "You don't remember me?" At the negative shake, he glanced at the girl and back at Daisuke. "I'm Chibimon, your partner. I'm a Digimon." 

"Partner? Digimon? Wait, I know, I'm dreaming right? And when I wake up I'll know what's going on, and laugh at how freaked out I got over a stupid bad dream." 

"You are awake, Daisuke. And since I'm guessing you don't remember, I'm Hikari Kamiya, but my friends all call me Kari." She smiled weakly, feeling slightly unnerved at how her bedridden friend was staring at her. After all, it had been a long time since he'd looked at anyone _other_ than Ken Ichijouji with that mixture of wistfulness, longing and hero-worship. While the expression was perfectly appropriate for one's boyfriend, it wasn't for a mere friend: especially a friend who was involved with someone else. 

~~~***~~~

**_The countdown's already started, Ichijouji. And I for one can't wait. It's about time the better half of us takes over. I'll conquer both worlds so fast it'll make your head spin...that is, if I let you stay around long enough to see it._**

"Shut up!" he hissed back, ignoring the stares he was getting. "Daisuke'll remember me, and everything will be fine. I'll apologize for yelling and things will go back to the way they were." They had to. If the Emperor took over again, Ken wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get control back. 

_**Your precious Daisuke is lusting after Kamiya again. It's **_her_ he wants, not a freak like you. All he ever wanted you for was someone to slave for him, and you made sure he knew you wouldn't do that anymore._ Ken heard an evil chuckle and it sent chills down his spine. He instinctively clutched Minomon closer, but even that didn't help. _**There's nothing anyone can do to save you Ichijouji. Who would believe you? After all, YOU are the Emperor. At least, that's what all your pathetic acquaintances think. And when I kill them all, they'll blame **_you_. Enjoy your last days, knowing you're helpless to stop it. I _always_ win in the end._

"No...I won't let you." Ken whispered uncertainly, missing the worried look his small partner shot up at him. 

~~~***~~~

Something was wrong. Daisuke didn't know _how_ he knew, he just did. The last few days had surprised the redhead. Whenever he was awake, the violet-eyed teen was unobtrusively there, listening when Daisuke needed someone to talk to, telling him about the other people who visited that the amnesiac had no clue _why_ they'd be seeing him. There had been no sign of whatever had been bothering Ken the day he'd woken up, and there had been too many other things to occupy his attention...like his second favorite visitor. Daisuke now felt comfortable enough around the older boy to start asking subtle questions about Kari, the girl he was starting to consider his personal angel. 

But today, Ken's back was rigid as the violet-eyed teen stared out the window. Kari had told him, in one of the rare visits where Ken hadn't been present, that in the past Daisuke had always been blunt and outspoken, so he decided to try it out. _After all, it can't hurt. What's the worst that could happen? He tells me to shut up. Big deal. She told me we were best friends, though she did have this weird look on her face when she said it..._ With that last thought firmly in mind, he smiled brightly and blurted, "Hey Ken, sumthin' buggin ya?" 

Impossibly, Ken stiffened even more, but his voice sounded neutral as he answered. "Just thinking, Su...Daisuke. I have a project due in school." 

The redheaded tilted his head curiously, trying to figure out why a part of him was so disappointed when Ken obviously changed what he was going to say. "Isn't it winter break? Never mind." He sighed. "Can I ask you something?" 

His friend's soft response sent an unexpected thrill through him. "You can ask me anything, Daisuke. Always." 

"Is Daisuke _really_ my name?" He watched as Ken spun around, a flabbergasted expression on his pale face, and Daisuke fought a blush. _Why did that surprise him?_

"What do you think your name is?" Ken asked carefully, staring at Daisuke intently. 

"I don't _know_!" was the frustrated response. "Whenever you say it...it just doesn't feel right." Warm brown eyes sought out shuttered amethyst, and the redhead sighed soundlessly. _What is his problem? For someone who's supposed to be my friend, he's so...closed off. Did I say something wrong? I wish he'd talk to me. Maybe I can get him to open up._

"I...don't always call you that." Ken forced a smile. "Don't worry about it. The important thing is you get to go home tomorrow. Do you want a ride?" 

"I already asked Kari to give me one. Listen Ken...can I ask you something else? I mean, I know what you just said an' all, but...this is kinda embarrassing..." The blue-haired teen raised one eyebrow inquiringly, for all the world looking like he didn't have a care in the world; even though he felt his heart was breaking. 

_**I told you!**_ the Emperor crowed in Ken's mind, between gales of cold laughter. _**He wants an angel, not a has been like-**_

"Ken! Are you all right?" 

"Fine. I am just fine. Gomen, Daisuke, but there's something I have to take care of." 

"Wait, just for a second, please? I really need to ask you something." 

Ken finished picking up Minomon, settling him gently in his traveling bag before peeking at Daisuke through the strands of hair cascading softly over his cheeks. "Of course. What is it?" Some sixth sense screamed at him to leave, that he wouldn't be able to handle what was coming, but he ignored it. After all, nothing could hurt worse than his _boy_friend thinking they were just friends, right? 

Wrong. With a desperation born more of habit than any real desire to keep the Emperor from taking over right then and there, Ken stared at Daisuke in morbid fascination as his world shattered with one simple question. 

"Do you think there's a chance Kari likes me?" 

~~~***~~~

"He asked you _**what**_?" Kari and T. K. blurted out in perfect unison. 

Ken kept his voice emotionless as he answered, absently scratching Miiko's ears. "He asked me if there was any chance you'd like him, Kari." He laughed bitterly; though the attention he gave Kari's cat didn't change from the slow, gentle strokes that had the feline curling around his hand purring in delight. "He wants me to set the two of you up." 

"Oh Ken..." 

T. K. patted his girlfriend's hand and looked sympathetically at their former enemy. "He's not trying to hurt you. If we just tell him the truth..." 

"It wouldn't matter." was the resigned answer. "Did you see the way he stared at Matt and Tai when they visited him the other day? He wasn't quite disgusted but..." Ken gently set Miiko down on all fours and stood up, fastidiously brushing away the cat hairs from his slacks. "Keep him out of trouble, ok?" 

"Why, you'll be here too to help out, won't you?" When he didn't answer, Kari repeated her question more insistently. 

"I...I can't. I can't do any of this anymore. I'm not strong enough." 

_**Of course you're not! You're pathetic and weak. You don't have the strength to stop me. You need your precious Daisuke to keep you safe. Too bad he doesn't want you anymore, Ichijouji. Why don't you warn your friends the Emperor is back?**_

Ken closed his eyes tightly for a moment, feeling more helpless than he had since the day he thought he'd lost Wormmon. _Just a little longer. I can't fight him...but I can leave with a shred of dignity..._

"But Ken, you're one of the strongest people any of us know!" T. K. insisted. "I don't think any of us could have adapted half as well as you have! And Daisuke's memory will be back someday..." 

"And he loves you. _You_ of all people should know that." Kari added quietly. 

Ken took a deep breath and looked from T. K. to Kari. "I can't go back to being just friends again. Not when-" He stopped as his voice started to crack and he quickly slipped his jacket on. _Not when I've had more...even if he did..._ He ruthlessly interrupted that train of thought. Thinking about their only fight would only depress him even more, and he needed as much strength as he could to keep the Emperor at bay for as long as possible. "I've tried...but being around him hurts now...pretending we're only friends when I want so much more. It's just better that I leave, before I make a mistake and scar him for life." 

"I...we understand. Where are you gonna go?" the blonde finally asked sadly. 

"No!" Kari turned and glared at Ken. "You're giving up on him, just like that? It hasn't even been two weeks yet, Ken!" She stood her ground, even though the cold fury in her friend's violet eyes reminded her of the first time they'd seen who their enemy once was. "You've decided he's not worth fighting for?" 

"How am I supposed to compete against you?" 

Kari glanced from T. K. to Ken, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "That depends...how much do you trust me?" 

~~~***~~~

_**It's a waste of time, Ichijouji. You can't stop me now. Give in, and I might let you live...**_

Ken's hand froze as it reached for the doorbell. "No..." Hearing someone start to walk down the hall he shook his head and briskly knocked on the front door. 

Daisuke opened the door and grinned cheerfully. "Well, whad'ya know? If it isn't the boy genius." Grinning even more broadly at the faint blush that spread over Ken's pale cheeks, he backed up and waved his friend in, trying to ignore the butterflies attempting to beat their way out of his stomach. "Gotcha." 

Ken put his partner down, who immediately went wriggling in search of Chibimon, then sat on the couch. "I've got news for you." 

"Oh?" the redhead asked curiously, sprawling in an overstuffed chair near his friend. 

Ken nodded and studied the ground in front of him intently. "Hai. Hikari agreed to go out with you tomorrow night." 

"She did? WOO HOO!!! Man, I don't know how to thank you!" 

"Anything for you." Ken whispered before standing up. "There is one other thing." 

"What?" Daisuke asked eagerly, bouncing up out of his chair to stand in front of the violet-eyed teen. "Did she tell you where she wanted to go?" 

Ken shook his head, ignoring the voice that laughed cruelly in his head. "No. That's up to you. I just wanted to say goodbye." 

Daisuke's face fell; a reaction that might have made Ken rethink his decision if he'd seen it. "G...good-_bye_? You goin' on vacation or sumthin'?" 

"No. Just away to school...well actually an internship...with Microsoft. In America. I just...well I couldn't turn them down again, and..." He finally trailed off as he realized just how badly he was stammering. _I **never** babble! Maybe I shouldn't leave. After everything I did, maybe this is my penance, that I'm just not meant to be happy..._

_**Not so fast Ichijouji. You're **_mine_ now. And what you're feeling guilty over is something _I_ was entitled to do. Part of _my_ life as the Digimon Emperor. You understand I'm sure. Now tell him off, or I will._

Ken stiffened, and Daisuke sensed something was wrong; something he _knew_ he should be able to help with, but couldn't remember how. So he said the first thing that popped into his head. "Why're you leaving me?" He watched in disbelief as Ken's head jerked up to face him, and shivered at how cold his normally vibrant eyes were. 

"What do _you_ care, Motomiya? You have your precious Kamiya again. It's not like you want _me_ around." The Emperor sneered, reveling in his first taste of freedom that he'd had in years. He could already sense Ken breaking free from his mental prison and threw one last barb before retreating back into his safe tower, something that totally baffled the redhead. "You can't save him this time. You have no idea he even needs protecting. And personally, _I_ hope you _never_ get your memory back." 

The ice in Ken's eyes shattered at he stared at Daisuke in horror. "I...you...I have to go!" Without waiting for a response, Ken spun around and fled, calling over one shoulder, "I'll send someone to get Minomon later!" 

"What just happened here?" the amnesiac wondered, studying the floor. "Why do I feel like I just lost him, when I never had him to begin with?" 

~~~***~~~

"Ken's in his room, dear. He's packing, but he won't tell me why!" The worry and anxiety in Mrs. Ichijouji's voice was almost palpable. 

"I've heard, and we're going to do something about that." Kari responded reassuringly. "That's why I dragged these two lugs with me. He's not going anywhere, at least until Daisuke's feeling better." With a last smile, the brunette latched onto her brother and Matt's arms and practically dragged them to Ken's bedroom door. 

"Who is it?" was the muffled response to the blonde's reluctant knocking. 

Kari grinned as she answered. "Pizza delivery!" 

"Go away Kari! I don't want to hear any more of your crazy ideas. I'm leaving and that's that!" 

"Oh no you're not." she muttered and opened the door. "Are you trying to show you can be just as pig-headed as Daisuke?" Tai and Matt looked at the surprised teen apologetically. 

"She threatened to cut my hair off if I didn't come." 

"Not to mention she offered to have my brother cook for me and my dad from now on." Matt shuddered. "Have you ever eaten something T. K.'s cooked?" At the silent headshake from Ken, the blonde shuddered again. "Be grateful. Be very, very, _very_ grateful." 

"What do you all want?" Ken asked expressionlessly, turning back to his packing. 

"To stop you from making a huge mistake. Dai-kun called me last night after you left. He's confused, Ken, and thinks he did something wrong." 

"But he didn't! I just-" 

"You're running away." Matt murmured, looking at Ken sympathetically. "I did the same thing once. Gabumon finally bit some sense into me." 

"Bit?" Ken glanced up from his packing long enough to look at Matt inquisitively. 

"Long story. I'll tell you about it sometime." With great dignity, he ignored his quietly snickering boyfriend. 

"I don't have much time. I have to leave soon." 

_**You can say that again. Why don't you tell them why? That their days are numbered once the Emperor returns...**_

"No!" Ken exclaimed, missing the worried glances his friends exchanged at the sudden, seemingly uncalled for, outburst. 

_**In that case, I'll tell them.**_ The Emperor ruthlessly shoved Ken aside, reveling once again in the power and freedom just being able to breathe gave him. Ignoring the pathetic screams of his alter ego, the terror of the Digital World looked at his three victims and grinned coldly. "I told you to get out. Don't make me tell you again." 

"Ken? What's wrong with you? I didn't mean to upset you...its just-" Kari started to apologize. 

"Personally I could care less what your simpering little mind was thinking. I have much better things to do than listen to your idiotic ramblings. Now get out, before I have to throw you out." 

_Don't you dare hurt them! They haven't done anything to you!_ Ken screamed silently in the vaults of their joint mind and beating on the walls of his invisible prison. 

"You should have thought about that before." The Emperor murmured back softly, then started stalking towards the baffled teenagers. Stopping right in front of them, he glared at Kari in absolute hatred. "And I am _not_ running away. Did it ever dawn on you that I hate the sight of all of you? Especially Motomiya. It's a relief that he's lusting after you again. I can leave and not have to worry about any of you failures trying to contact me." All the warmth seemed to vanish from the room at his next words. "And if that Digimon ever comes near me again, I'll gut him." 

Kari gasped. "Who, Minomon? Ken, what has gotten into you?" 

"Get out, or I'll have you arrested for trespassing." The Emperor stalked slowly forward as the three teens backed up nervously, looking for all the world like a hunter about to slaughter its prey. 

"Come on, Sis. It looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Keeping one cautious eye on the violet-eyed teen, he opened the door, making sure to stay protectively in front of his sister. 

Ken shook his head violently and started to tremble as he once again took control back from his darker half. In sorrow he watched three people he was certain had just become former friends slip out of his bedroom. The moment the door closed he collapsed onto his bed, fighting back tears. 

_**You can't say I didn't warn you. Next time I'll be in charge for good, Ichijouji. I'm just counting down the minutes...aren't you?**_

~~~***~~~

Daisuke nervously rang the doorbell for the Kamiya residence, unconsciously shifting the bouquet of roses he'd bought for his date from hand to hand. He was running his fingers anxiously through his spiky red hair when the door opened. "Hello." 

"Come in, Daisuke! How are you feeling?" Mr. Kamiya asked, looking at the flowers in confusion. 

"Much better sir. I still can't remember anything, but," He forced a nervous grin. "It's letting me discover things all over again." _Like the feelings I have for your daughter._ The redhead was puzzled by the sudden surge of guilt that washed through him at that thought. 

"I'm sure. Kari's in her room." The redhead waited by the front door, almost embarrassed that he didn't know where to go. Mr. Kamiya coughed in embarrassment before smiling apologetically. "Which you wouldn't remember how to get to. Just down the hall and to your left." 

"Thank you." Daisuke followed his date's father's instructions and stopped in front of a door adorned with a huge poster proclaiming 'Kari's Korner'. _That's pretty cute. I wonder if Ken has something like that on his bedroom door._ He ground his teeth together in frustration _Why the hell am I still thinking about him after what he said to me yesterday?!_ Something wasn't right with his friend...ex friend...whatever. He sighed and just as he decided to think about it later, the conversation going on behind the closed door filtered out to him. 

_"...-n't believe it." _

"Neither can I. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that wasn't Ken we were talking to, Tai." 

"Well, he **is** taking Daisuke's amnesia pretty hard, not that I blame him. I don't know what I'd do if Matt didn't remember **me**. Maybe he's just not sleeping well, and you hit a nerve?" 

"But why would he just disappear? And that threat about poor Minomon..." 

"Tai's right. I don't know what I'd do if he ever forgot me either..." 

Daisuke's eyes widened and he hastily knocked on the door. _Why on **Earth** is Kari's brother comparing my friendship with Ken to his...relationship with Matt?_

The door flew open and Kari stared up at the redhead breathlessly. "I'm so sorry to keep you waiting! Are you ready?" 

Valiantly trying to forget the conversation he'd unintentionally eavesdropped on, and another surge of something he refused to call guilt, Daisuke nodded. "Oh, these are for you Kari, but they pale in comparison to how beautiful you look tonight." he murmured softly. 

"Thanks, Daisuke. Come on, let's get out of here. Tai can put these in water for me, right?" The brunette didn't wait for a response; she practically dragged her date out the door. 

"Whoa, Kari, what's the hurry? We have all night if you want." 

_T. K. forgive me, but...here goes my Jun Motomiya impression._ By now the two teens had wandered several blocks, and Kari took a deep breath before gushing, "I've been looking forward to this date ever since Ken mentioned it to me!" 

Daisuke flinched almost imperceptibly at the mention of the violet-eyed teen and smiled. "Me too. I wasn't sure if I should ask or not. Especially with how close you and T. K. seem to be." 

Kari flushed in guilt, and brushed it off with a giggle. "T. K.'s the best! I don't know what I'd do without him. He's just as important to me as Tai! He's my best friend." She finished softly before latching herself even tighter to Daisuke's arm, resting her head against his firm bicep. "But enough about him. Let's talk about me and you!" 

"Y...you never acted like this around me before. Why now?" The redhead shifted imperceptibly away from his exuberant date. 

"I've been waiting _years_ for you to ask me out, Dai-chan! I just can't control myself anymore!" _Come on Daisuke, freak! You're in love with Ken, whether you remember it or not. You **have** to know us dating is hurting him..._

"Oh look, we're at the restaurant." Daisuke announced in relief. _What am I **doing**? I'm out with a hot girl, and all I can think about right now is getting away from her!_ Thoroughly disgusted with himself, he deliberately wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, closed his eyes and bent over to kiss her cheek. In his mind, he wasn't kissing Kari. Instead, he saw those shimmering pools of amethyst that had fascinated him from the moment he'd first woken up, shining at him with more love and laughter than he'd ever imagined could exist. In the blink of an eye, he saw those same violet orbs filled with terror, grief and heartache that had the teen jerking away from his date as if burned. 

"Dai-chan? Are you alright?" Kari murmured softly, staring up at him worriedly. At his jerky nod, she re-attached herself to his arm and started babbling again. 

~~~***~~~

_Is this evening ever going to end?_ Daisuke groaned to himself. He didn't know how someone could talk so much and not say anything. Glancing unobtrusively down at his watch he noticed only a few minutes had passed since the last time he checked. He had to distract her, somehow. The last thing he had wanted to do was go out with an airhead like his sister. _What happened to the girl I met in the hospital? Could I have been so wrong about her? Man, what I wouldn't give to be out with Ken right now..._

Nodding politely to whatever it was Kari had taken upon herself to tell him about, he stared blindly into his water glass and started reminiscing about the second time he'd met the violet-eyed teen. 

_He glanced up from the newspaper one of the nurses had recommended he read to see Ken waiting hesitantly in the doorway with an undecipherable expression on his face. "May I come in?" _

"Only if you promise not to ask me how much I remember, or who's in charge of the country, or what the most recent currency exchange rates are." 

"Why would I ask you that? You wouldn't have known that even before you hit that hard head of yours." Daisuke watched as his new friend gave him one of the shyest smiles he'd ever seen; one that sent an unexpected surge of heat through him and jolted his heart in a way he couldn't remember ever feeling before. 

"Hard head, huh? Prove it." 

Ken ducked his head, the blue chin-length strands of hair hiding his expression. "Well, you fell off a cliff, and your only serious injury is your memory loss." 

"I **fell** off a cliff? What am I, a klutz or something?" 

"No. You were just...upset and misjudged the footing near the edge. It could have happened to any of us." Ken responded softly, sounding as if he was **defending** his actions, instead of just explaining them. 

They had talked for what seemed like hours. Ken hadn't asked how he was feeling, or treated him like an invalid. Somehow, the older teen had even managed to avoid referring to things Daisuke just couldn't remember. And when the redhead had spoken, he'd noticed that his friend listened with an intensity that was flattering. None of the others paid attention to him like that. They mostly joked around with him, which in its own way was fun, but Ken treated him as an intellectual equal. _Which must be pretty hard for him considering how smart he is. I wonder why we're such good friends_

"Dai-chan? Daisuke are you feeling alright?" Kari asked worriedly, hoping that part of her friend was waking up. _How could Jun act like this all the time? I'm exhausted!_

He had the grace to flush in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking." 

"About Ken?" 

"How did you know?" he stammered incredulously. 

The brunette detached herself from Daisuke's side with a relieved sigh. "Because I know you two." She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. "How much did you overhear?" 

"Overhear?" 

"Me, Tai and Matt talking. How much did you hear?" At the guilty expression on his face she smiled reassuringly. "It wasn't a private conversation, Dai-kun." 

He started to respond, then looked around nervously at the other diners. "Can we go somewhere else?" Not waiting for an answer, he threw down more than enough money to cover dinner, stood up and waited impatiently for her to follow him. 

~~~***~~~

While Daisuke was escorting Kari out of the restaurant, Ken was finishing packing up his room. There was nothing left except his desk, computer and the lonely looking stripped bed. "This is it." he murmured softly to himself. 

_**I can't believe you said good-bye to those pathetic losers you call parents. Is there **_anyone_ on this miserable mud ball that isn't a hypocrite?_

Ken ignored the voice. He could feel the mental walls collapsing and wanted to savor what little time he had left. He settled down at his desk and pulled out a sheet of vellum. 

_**You're joking. I'm not going to let you write a letter to **_him!_ I demand you stop this at once!_

The genius heard the panic in his alter ego's voice and smiled. If the Emperor was _that_ worried about this letter, it was definitely the right thing to do. "No." he whispered and started writing. 

_

Daisuke,

By the time my parents give you this, I'll be gone. I'm sorry  
if this causes you any pain, but it's something I had no choice   
in. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, and in less  
than two months I've done it twice. Your friendship means more  
to me than I could possibly tell you.

I'm sure you know by now the truth about T. K. and Kari. Don't  
be angry with her, she was doing me a favor. I didn't have the heart  
to tell you she was seeing someone else; not when you looked at me   
with your heart in your eyes and asked me to help set the two of you up.

If I can break free, I'll try to let you know I'm all right, but I know once   
I leave I'll never be the same.

Farewell my friend,  
Ken

_

_**You're just as weak as the rest of them! Move over, Ichijouji; as the old movie once said..."I'm back!"**_

Ken struggled, more out of habit than anything else, and felt the last shreds of his control fading. "I...won't let you...get him...them." he gritted out, stumbling to his feet and practically falling through the ready and waiting Digiport. The last actions Ken Ichijouji took before being banished was to shatter his Digivice, and smile as the Digimon Emperor howled in rage. 

~~~***~~~

Daisuke waited for Kari to settle on the bench before sitting down next to her. "Why did..." The redhead sighed and buried his face in his hands, trying to gather his thoughts. Now that he wasn't worrying about how to act, his mind was a jumbled mix of images, most revolving around the sapphire-haired genius. "Why won't he leave me alone?!" 

"Daisuke?" 

"Ken! He's just my best friend, right? So why is it whenever I close my eyes, I see _him_ staring back at me?" 

"Do you really want to know the answer to that, Dai-kun?" Kari asked softly. 

"Yes!" he growled back in frustration. "And why the hell was your brother comparing his relationship with his _boy_friend to my friendship with Ken?!" 

Instead of answering, she just stared up at him with a raised eyebrow, her expression saying louder than any words 'You figure it out'. 

With an almost audible snap Daisuke's jaw fell open. "You're not trying to tell me that Ken...That Ken and I...No way!" He wouldn't believe it. There was no way he was _gay!_

Kari abruptly leaned forward and pressed her lips against his parted mouth, her tongue lightly dancing along his. Daisuke froze in shock then jerked away, just barely managing to keep from wiping his mouth in disgust. "Whadya do that for?" 

The brunette leaned back, grinning smugly. "If you tell me you liked that, I'll call you a liar. Daisuke, you liked me when you were _eleven_." 

"So?" he shot back defensively. "That still doesn't mean that Ken and I...ahhhh!" 

"You do know we tried to talk to him before he left, don't you?" she asked after several long moments of watching Daisuke struggle to get his blush under control. 

"Yeah. I still don't understand why he totally weirded out on me. He was..." 

"Cold?" 

He nodded in agreement. "He said some really strange things too. 'Bout you, and how he hoped I'd never get my memory back..." He slid down the bench, shoving his legs out in front of him in a depressed sprawl. "It was almost like he was-" 

"A different person." the brunette finished softly. 

"Yeah. Any idea why?" 

Kari didn't answer, lost in memories of her youth, and the last time she'd seen Ken act that cruelly. Sitting up with a start, she gasped, "No way! He couldn't have..." 

"Couldn't have what? Kari?" When she didn't answer, Daisuke grabbed her arm and shook her a little rougher than he'd intended. "Kari! Why would Ken have taken an internship in America?" 

"You're telling me the only reason Chibimon's with me is because we all used to fight _Ken_ when we were younger? That _Ken,_ the guy who you told me didn't leave my side while I was in a coma, the person who goes out of his way to help any of you when you need it, used to torture and kill Digimon? That's even harder to believe than you telling me we were dating!" 

"He was and you are! Or were...whatever. If you don't believe me, ask the others! I think I even have some old pictures I managed to take right before we defeated him." 

Daisuke chewed on his lower lip, staring at Kari uncertainly. Loyalty to his friend demanded he deny the accusations, but there was something in her voice that rang true. "Say I believe you...why would you tell me about this now?" 

"Because when I saw Ken earlier he threatened to kill Minomon if you brought him back. Does that sound like the Ken you know and love?" 

"No." he responded, shaking his head and completely missing that he'd just acknowledged how he felt about the older teen. "But what does that have to do with him moving?" 

"What if he didn't move? What if something happened to him and..." She didn't even want to think about the idea that the Digiworld might be in danger again. 

~~~***~~~

_**Ahhh...I love the smell of terror and destruction in the morning. And the best part is they'll blame**_you_, Ichijouji!_ the Emperor thought in smug satisfaction. 

_The others will stop you._ Ken argued weakly. 

"Yeah right. That bunch of pathetic losers? If they do, I'll kill them. It's as simple as that." The Emperor stretched, enjoying the feel of muscles moving under _his_ control. Having spent the last eight years trying to figure out how the Digidestined had found out about his original attempt to take over, he'd finally narrowed it down to a few possible culprits. His number one suspect was even now bringing him his breakfast, the normally pristine white pony tail dark and matted with blood. 

"Here's your breakfast, master." Gennai whispered brokenly. 

"Don't just stand there you idiot! Bring it here, then start looking for a way to smother unwanted presences." 

"Master?" the older 'mon questioned, not quite sure what the Emperor wanted from him. 

"I want Ken Ichijouji out of my head, so I can kill him with my bare hands! Is that clear?" 

"Y...yes master. At once master!" Gennai carefully placed the tray next to his Emperor and fled in terror. 

"Feeble old man." He dug into his breakfast, trying to decide which Digimon to spiral today. He wasn't taking any chances. Without the dark Digivice he couldn't keep Digimon from digivolving, so he decided to take out the ones who were the greatest threat first: the Digimon partnered with the Digidestined. He'd already managed to spiral Tentomon, Palmon, Biyomon and re-capture that blasted Agumon. 

_How can you do these things? How can you be part of me?_

"That's amusing, I've been wondering the same thing." 

~~~***~~~

It had taken them almost a week to be sure, since no one wanted to over react, but it was official. Ken was missing. Izzy and Iori had hit the internet, actually breaking into the Microsoft personnel files to make sure Ken wasn't on the payroll. The genius _had_ been offered several high positioned corporate jobs, and they were even able to confirm that he'd turned the last one down right before Daisuke's accident. Tai and Matt had hit the airports, using the blonde's status as a famous rock star to charm their way into finding out that Ken hadn't left the country. 

"His mom has his passport, and everything was boxed up in his room." T. K. sighed. "And if Daisuke hadn't reassured her, she would have panicked again. I felt so bad, she kept saying 'Not again, not again.'" 

"I still can't believe he lied to me. That _jerk!_ Promise to get in touch with me if he could my-" Daisuke muttered furiously, feeling incredibly betrayed as he clenched the note his now _former_ best friend had left him. 

"We know how you feel Daisuke. There has to be a logical explanation for this." Tai responded. 

The redhead whirled and glared at the former Digidestined leader. "No you don't! None of you do! You all might have experience dealing with strange things happening, but I _don't!_ I can't remember anything if it didn't happen in the last two weeks. He was the one thing that felt _remotely_ familiar and safe, and now he's gone! So don't you _dare_ tell me you know how I feel!" 

Matt looked from his slack-jawed boyfriend to the heavily breathing Daisuke and shook his head. "Daisuke, chill. Tai didn't mean it that way." 

"Then tell your _boyfriend_ to say what he means. I'm getting sick and tired-" 

"_ENOUGH!_" Kari shouted. "Dai-kun, we had this talk about them last week. And Tai, he's right. None of us know what he's going through. How could we?" 

"Thank you, Kari." He glanced at both Matt and Tai. "Sorry. I was just...venting, I guess. I don't understand half of what you're talking about, and it's so hard for me to believe that Ken was...evil." 

"And might be again." Miyako muttered under her breath, smiling innocently when Daisuke turned to glare at her. 

"It would help if we could figure out what he was thinking about the last couple of months." Izzy suggested, trying not to look expectantly at Chibimon's partner. 

"You know...right before Daisuke woke up, I was thinking that Ken never turned any of us down when we needed something, or suggested something to do." Kari looked at the others a little guiltily. "Maybe we were taking advantage of him?" 

"But he'd've said somethin', right?" Mimi glanced from Kari to her Sora in confusion. "I know I haven't been back _that_ long, but he seemed outspoken enough the times I visited." 

"Maybe, maybe not." Tai looked a little guilty. "I know for a fact there were a few times I _really_ needed help studying for finals, and I asked Daisuke to ask Ken for me." 

Echoes of agreement reluctantly came from other team members. "Did we ever find out anything he'd want to do?" 

"He just seemed to agree with everything." 

"So let me get this straight. You guys took advantage of a formerly evil genius, and just _now_ realize it?" Daisuke looked disgusted. 

"That's not the worst news." Izzy glanced up from his laptop. "I can't get a hold of Gennai or Leomon. In fact, out of all our partners, I can only find Gabumon and Gomamon." His midnight black eyes were filled with worry. "There's no sign of the others." 

~~~***~~~

"Whoa!" Daisuke wobbled for a few moments on his shaky legs and looked up with a grin. "That was _way_ cool!" 

Before the others could comment at his enthusiasm Kari gasped in horror. "Guys, _look!_" 

"Is that what I think it is?" Miyako asked quietly. 

"What is that thing? Some sort of dark Washington Monument?" The redhead looked from the Control Spire to the terrified expressions on his friends' faces. "Someone wanna tell me why you all look like someone's died?" His head started to spin as everyone started talking at once. 

"Why would he _do_ this again?" 

"Are we sure it's him?" 

"How many are there?" 

"Who else could it be?" 

Daisuke gave a shrill whistle and choked back laughter as ten heads jerked around to face him. "HOLD IT! I have no idea what's freaking you guys out, this is all new to me, remember?" He felt a tugging on his pants leg and looked down, barely managing to keep from jumping back in terror at the small blue wingless dragon looking up at him. 

"They mean the Emperor's back D'ske." 

"Ch...Chibimon?" 

"Actually, I'm Veemon now." 

"Oh. You did that digi-whatever." His warm chocolate brown eyes searched the other Digidestined faces. "He means that _Ken_ did this?" 

"That's the only logical assumption if you factor in how long Ken's been missing and how many Control Spires I'm detecting. It's consistent with his construction rate. We have a lot of work ahead of us, guys." 

Gabumon and Gomamon hurried over, both looking ragged and starved as they collapsed at their partners' feet. Matt and Joe immediately cuddled their exhausted companions, whispering words of comfort. Gabumon glanced at the others before his attention focused in on Daisuke. Matt soothingly stroked his fur and finally the Digimon began to speak. 

"E...everyone's gone. Ken is...he's colder, more ruthless than he used to be." Gabumon swallowed hard, and Matt felt him tremble beneath his gentle ministrations. The blonde shot a worried look at his boyfriend and shifted to settle his horned partner onto his lap. "It's like any compassion or boundaries he had before are gone. Gomamon and I just barely managed to get away from him. Gennai and Centauromon were spiraled helping us escape. We haven't even had time to contact you." 

"Yeah, how did you guys know we needed you?" Gomamon panted from the comforting embrace Joe had him in. 

"It was a logical conclusion when we couldn't find him on Earth. And then we were convinced when I could only find your signal and Gabumon's. The circumstantial evidence seemed to speak for itself." Izzy replied in his usual clear, concise tones. 

"Oh." The normally mischievous Digimon glanced up at his partner. "Sometimes I wonder how you can stand listening to him." 

Joe smiled affectionately at the redheaded genius. "Listening to him is one of the many perks I get. Besides, he's great help with my homework." 

"Isn't this such a touching scene? The queers trying to justify their _disgusting_ personal lives," a cold voice announced from behind them. 

Eleven heads craned around while two Digimon trembled in terror, burrowing closer to their partners. "_Ken_?" Daisuke stared incredulously at the imposing figure. He could hardly recognize his almost delicate looking friend in the person before him. 

"Ken no longer exists. I am who I was always meant to be...the Digimon Emperor." 

~~~***~~~

_Daisuke!_ The tiny mental presence in the back of the Emperor's mind was all that remained of Ken Ichijouji and it drank in the sight of the redhead standing before them; his reaction forcing the Emperor to do something before he lost control. 

"You'll never be able to get him back, Motomiya. He's _mine_ now!" An evil chuckle filled the small valley as the twisted genius strode closer. "I've waited _years_ for you to screw up. Every time you, _all_ of you were thoughtless, inconsiderate, self-centered I came that much closer to breaking free of my exile." His laughter echoed again, so cold and hate-filled the bordering trees almost shivered. 

"What are you talking about?" Iori finally demanded. "_You're_ Ken Ichijouji!" 

"And your complete lack of intelligence truly staggers me. You all thought you'd defeated the rightful ruler of this world? I'll rip you apart with my bare hands for allowing that weakling to imprison me. Starting with _you_!" The Emperor unerringly pointed at Daisuke, knowing _he_ of all the Digidestined was the only true threat to his new reign of terror. 

_No, leave him alone!_

The other Digidestined tried to move protectively in front of the redhead, but Daisuke easily slipped past them and started walking towards the Emperor without a trace of fear. "Ken, what's going on?" 

"You will address me as the Digimon Emperor." was the hissed response, his heated glare filled with enough hatred to melt the artificial chill his laughter had brought to the valley. With an internal twist, he managed to cut off Ken's mental tirade. "And you, of all of them have the least right to question my actions. _You _were the worst. _Your_ thoughtless actions gave me all the leverage I needed." The Emperor snickered. "Can you believe that weakling actually felt _guilty_ when you fell?" His snickering turned into outright laughter again, a deep full-bellied laugh that sent shivers down everyone's spine. "But the best part...was when you woke up...and asked him to...set you up...with _Kamiya!_" 

_Leave him alone! He doesn't need to know any of this! Just send them back! You have **me**! You don't need him...or them!_

"No." he murmured softly. "My body, my rules." 

Not that the Emperor's voice mattered to Daisuke at the moment. The violet-eyed teen's earlier accusations had hit a nerve deep inside his mind, and a memory was floating to the surface. 

_"I thought this weekend I'd help Elekmon with the babies." Ken said softly, looking at Daisuke with a smile. "I'm sure he could use a break." _

"We can do that next weekend. **I** told Frigimon we'd go skiing on File Island. I knew you wouldn't mind." the redhead responded carelessly, continuing to pack. 

"But...I already told him." Daisuke glanced up to see an unaccustomed anger momentarily burn in those bottomless amethyst eyes. Turning up the charm, he walked closer to his boyfriend and gave a loving, pleading smile, knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that Ken could never say no to that expression. 

But he was in for a surprise. "Do I have to ask you for permission to breathe now too? You **know** how much being able to help out like this means to me! Do my feelings count at all?" 

"Ken-" 

"No! Not this time. For once, I'm going to do what **I** want to do! Go on your skiing trip if you want, I don't care. It's not like you care about my opinion anymore, if you ever did." He turned and walked out without a backwards glance, his back held so stiffly Daisuke was surprised it didn't shatter with each step. 

That one memory seemed to be the key to unlocking his past. In an uncontrollable wave his entire life seemed to flash before his eyes and he cringed. _How could I have **treated** him like that?!?!_ "Ken-" 

The Emperor backhanded the redhead, watching in satisfaction as his head rocked back from the force of the blow and, losing his balance, stumbled down the hill. "I told you how to address me." The evil genius glanced up to look at the rest of the Digidestined. "That goes for all..." 

_This stops NOW!_ Ken screamed, lunging out of the mental cage the Emperor had locked him in. While the physical body of Ken Ichijouji stood motionlessly the two distinct personalities housed within battled for dominance. 

_You can't hurt him! I won't let you! _

**You can't stop me! Once I defeat you here, his death will be assured!**

NO!!! 

Daisuke, unaware of the battle going on before him, walked up to the deathly still shell. "Ken," he called softly, his voice full of the love and support that had been missing since he'd woken up from that fateful fall. _And probably a lot longer than that_, he admitted ruefully to himself. "I'm so sorry...for everything. Come back to me, please?" 

Oblivious to the redhead's apology, Ken and the Emperor continued to struggle for control, their physical body's facial expressions shifting rapidly from the icy coldness of the Emperor, and the fiercely determined look Ken usually wore on the rare occasions he tried to put his foot down with the Digimon he was trying to help. Daisuke started to grow more and more concerned each time Ken's face froze, somehow sensing the internal struggle, and realizing Ken's worst fear had finally come true...he was having to fight his dark side. And what was even worse than that was the fact it looked like _his_ Ken was losing. 

As Daisuke desperately tried to think of _something_ to help, another memory arose, crystal clear in its clarity even though it dated from right after their partners' second jogress and before they first started dating. 

_"Please...don't..." _

"Ken, you twisted your ankle. I'm just trying to wrap it so we can get home." Daisuke gracefully dropped to his knees in front of his friend. 

"I don't want you kneeling before me Daisuke. I...It felt wrong the first time. I never wanted to see it again." 

The redhead looked up with a grin. "Coulda fooled me, Ken. What was it you said?" His forehead scrunched in concentration as he tried to remember, hands gently wrapping the injured limb. 

"Seeing you squirm is so delicious..." was the whispered answer, accompanied by the genius ducking his chin so the silky blue strands of his hair would shield his eyes from seeing the boy at his feet. 

"That's it!" Tying off the bandage, he reached up and lifted Ken's chin with infinite tenderness. "Ken?" 

"I promised myself I'd never see you like this again." 

"Like what? Ken, you're hurt. I can't exactly help while standing up. Even you're not that flexible. Besides," The violet eyed teen looked into his friend's dark eyes, and at that moment he would have sworn the chocolate depths were melting, reaching out to encircle him in a warmth he desperately needed. 

"Besides?" he queried hoarsely, unconsciously leaning into the hand cradling his cheek. 

"I like looking up at you." 

Daisuke started to smile. That was the day they'd kissed for the first time. He'd never forgotten the expression in Mrs. Ichijouji's eyes when he'd carried her son over their thresh hold. The catalyst for that first kiss hadn't been the twisted ankle, but the heartfelt desire Ken had to never see the redhead forced into submitting to anyone, least of all his former enemy. And just maybe, that need was still there. _Man I hope so..._

And he didn't have much time. He heard his friends start up the hill and cursed silently. _Come on Ken-chan...come on...don't give up. I need you too much..._ Precious seconds went by, the Digidestined drawing closer when the facial switch happened again. The rigidity melted away, and those glorious amethyst eyes narrowed in determination. "Ken...Ken-chan...KEN-CHAN!" His boyfriend's attention jerked towards him for just a moment, but it was all the time Daisuke needed. 

With a grace and ease born from years spent playing sports, the redhead dropped to his knees and looked up at the torn teen with a looked of mimed submission. "Master, you can stop him. You _have_ to. This time, _I_ need you..." 

_**NO! I won't let you win! You can't! Its MY turn!!!** _

Shut up! With a vicious blow Ken threw the Emperor across their mental battle ground and stalked closer. _Never again. I will **never** allow you to harm another creature. Your reign of terror is over. _

**If I'm going down, you're coming with me Ichijouji!** In a last desperate effort, the Emperor tackled the kind-hearted genius to the ground, wrapping his hands around Ken's throat. To his consternation, his enemy just lay there, not fighting and the Emperor tightened his grip. 

_You can't kill me. I'm a part of you, just like you're a part of me. Living with you is my penance and an eternal reminder of the evil I could do if I ever forget who I am._ Gently pushing the stunned Emperor off of him, Ken stood and pulled the evil teen to a bed that appeared out of nowhere. _Sleep..._ And the Emperor did. 

~~~***~~~

Daisuke irritably waved his friends off, while still keeping his head lowered in submission, so he missed the violent shudder Ken's body gave as the teen came back into himself. He _did_ notice when his boyfriend dropped to his knees before him, tears streaming from his eyes. "Daisuke? Why did you call me..." 

"Ken-chan!" he cried, launching himself forward into the arms just beginning to open. "I'm so sorry...for everything!" 

"So am I. I almost...almost..." He choked back a sob and tightened his arms, reveling in an embrace that just a few short days ago he'd been sure he'd never feel again. 

"Shhh...I know. I knew you'd come back to me. You're stronger than he is." 

"I know I am. Now. But...Suke-chan..." 

Daisuke pulled back just far enough to look into Ken's tear-filled amethyst eyes, and felt something inside him go cold. Whatever Ken was going to say, he _knew_ he wasn't going to like it. Trying to avoid whatever was coming, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the older teen's. Ignoring the muffled sound of surprise he tugged the older boy closer and whispered against his mouth, "Ai shiteru, zutto, Ken-chan." 

For just a moment that almost felt as if separate from time itself Ken melted into Daisuke, throwing his heart and soul into the kiss before pulling away with an obvious reluctance. The redhead tried to tug him back, but the violet-eyed genius stood up and stepped back a few paces, putting even more space between them. "I love you too, Daisuke. But I have to leave for a while." 

"_What?_" the redhead cried, scrambling to his feet as well. "Why?" 

"Because of everything that's happened." Ken gestured towards the Digidestined, and the still cowering Gabumon and Gomamon. "Because of what I did." 

"But that wasn't your fault!" 

"It was." he responded softly. "I never learned how to deal with _him_ on my own. I hid behind you. And when I lost you..." 

"But I'm here now!" 

"I know you are. But I need to learn to stand on my own, Suke-chan...Daisuke." The genius was so lost in his own misery he missed the look of pain that flashed across the redhead's face as Ken deliberately called his boyfriend by name. "And I can't do that here. At least, not yet." The sapphire-haired teen raised his head and stared into those deep brown eyes that had stolen his heart so long ago, pleading for him to understand. 

And Daisuke did. "Wh...when will I see you again?" Unspoken were the words 'Where will you go?' 

"I don't know. Soon I hope." He smiled weakly, the expression never reaching the desolation radiating from his amethyst eyes. "I'll call you." Running his gaze over Daisuke's face, he memorized each plane as a ward for the lonely days to come, then turned and walked away. 

**A/N**: I split them up...I must be sick. Actually, as sad as it is, this just _seemed_ the right way to end it. As much as everyone loves the 'True love conquers all' bit, in reality, it doesn't always happen. But who knows...maybe I'll write a sequel. 


	2. Enfolded in an Angel's Wings

Enfolded in an Angel's Wings

_**Disclaimer:** Digimon belongs to hordes of other people that aren't me. _

**Author's Note:** This is the darkest I've ever written. Please take the 'R' rating seriously. I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but the one thing I pride myself on as an author is realism, and as much as we all hate to think of it, things like this happen every day. Maybe if we all tried to face it, instead of pretending it doesn't exist the world could be a better place. 

**Enfolded in an Angel's Wings  
**by: **Lady Dragon**

Ichijouji Ken glanced down at the precious burden he carried cradled close to his heart. The silky reddish bronze strands gently blew in the warm evening breeze, reminding him of another beloved redhead he'd known years ago. Not unexpectedly, his heart clenched in a pain that hadn't faded with the passage of time. 

Almost as if he sensed that pain, the young boy snuggled closer to the familiar solid warmth of his father's chest, and Ken's pain, while not lessoning, was balanced and made almost bearable by the fathomless love he felt for the normally restless child sleeping so peacefully in his arms. 

Carefully slipping through the front door of his small home located in one of the few undeveloped private estates left in Japan he carried his son through myriad hallways until he could carefully tuck him into the Pikachu bed he'd had his arm twisted into buying. Once the blankets were securely wrapped around the child, Ken gently brushed his son's bangs off his forehead and kissed him. "I love you, Daimon." 

To his great surprise, the child he'd thought sound asleep gave a sleepily murmured 'love you too, daddy.' followed by a soft snore in response. 

~~~***~~~

Motomiya Daisuke collapsed into a graceless sprawl in his favorite oversized chair and closed his eyes. _What a night..._ He'd woken up from a sound sleep _knowing_ where the missing Yagami child was being held. With the help of the local authorities, the little girl was back home, her parents' almost embarrassingly grateful for his assistance. _How do I do that?_ he wondered to himself for what felt like the millionth time, as he slowly rotated his neck to get the kinks out. He hissed in pain at the audible 'cracks' echoing through the room as the vertebrae popped back into place. 

He didn't know whether to be grateful or upset that these dreams were happening with greater frequency and increasing accuracy. In fact, the redhead was getting rather adept at translating the rather vague flashes into coherent _helpful_ information. And it showed. After almost thirteen years spent recovering missing children, there was only one he hadn't been able to recover. 

_Recover_. How he hated that word. Children weren't missing items, they were living breathing creatures, and no matter how hard his friends on the force tried to help him see them as cases, he refused. Daisuke glanced up at his mantle, staring at the picture of a young American girl who had paid for his ignorance. 

His dreams regarding her had been so tremulous as to be non-existent. By the time he'd figured out where she was, her father had already managed to sense he was out of time, killed his daughter and taken his own life. Daisuke stood up and padded over to pick up the picture, running a finger across the glass, tracing the child's enormous blue-gray eyes and the amber ringlets. "I'm so sorry I didn't find you in time," he whispered before carefully putting the picture back in its place of honor, as an eternal reminder. 

Against his will, his gaze was drawn to the only other picture on the mantle. He bit back a moan of both pleasure and pain _this_ image evoked. "Oh Ken-chan... Where are you? Are you ever coming home?" 

Unfortunately, not even his beloved's parents knew that answer. Over the years, between cases and trips to the Digital World, he'd kept in touched with the Ichijoujis'. If they were the only part of Ken he could have while the older Digidestined was discovering his inner strength, he'd take it. Spending time with them didn't make the ache in his heart go away, but any little bit helped. 

Over time, he'd given in to the urges of his co-workers and actually gone on several dates. Though they weren't disastrous by any stretch of the imagination, none of the people he'd seen was who he wanted. _You promised you'd come back to me. What's taking so long?_

_Even Veemon and Wormmon managed to find time to spend together,_ he thought bitterly. But all his partner could get out of his mate was that Ken was fine, and wasn't ready to come back yet. 

So the redhead had resorted to more underhanded approaches. He used his contacts at the police department to try and find where Ken had relocated to: and got nothing. No one seemed to know where the genius had settled, though the papers were full of 'Ichijouji Enterprises released yet another blockbuster video game this week', and 'Ichijouji Enterprises donated thousands of dollars to the Narita City Zoo today for the endangered species breeding program'. Daisuke had scrapbooks filled with such clippings, yet _nothing_ about Ken himself. 

With another heartfelt sigh he stared at the picture in his hand. He'd taken it himself, and Ken almost seemed to be glowing in happiness. Turning, he went and settled back in his chair, hugging the picture to his chest. "I still miss you, Ken-chan. Please...come back to me." 

~~~***~~~

"Daddy, come outside and _play_ with me...please?" his son wheedled, widening his eyes and pouting. 

Ken took a deep breath and turned away from his computer. "Daimon, I can't play right now. You know I have a deadline to meet." 

"But Daddy-" 

"No buts. Why don't you go and play with Minomon?" Daimon shook his head, the sunlight caressing the reddish bronze strands and Ken sighed silently. _Out of all the possible genetic combinations in the world, why did my son have to look so much like **him**?_ "Why can't you?" the genius asked softly, staring at the fidgeting eight year old before him. 

" 'Cause he went to go and see Veemon. Daddy?" 

"Hai?" 

"Who's Veemon? Why haven't _I_ met him yet? Is he another Digimon?" 

"He's-" Just then the phone rang, and Ken offered a silent thanks to whoever it was calling as he picked up the receiver. "Moshi moshi." 

"K...K...Ken?" a hoarse voice stammered. 

"Mama?" He received another muffled sob, which he interpreted as an affirmative. "Mama, what's wrong?" 

"I...It's your father..." 

"Dad? What's wrong with him? Is he ok?" 

"N...No. He...He's gone, Ken." 

"Wh...what do you mean gone Mama?" 

"He...He had a heart attack Ken. The doctors...the doctors couldn't save him..." 

He felt a small hand tugging on his shirt. "Daddy? Is grandpa ok?" 

Silently he shook his head, his violet eyes filling with tears. "I...I'm on my way home, Mama." Hanging up the phone, he crouched down in front of his bewildered son. 

"Daddy, what's wrong? Why're you crying?" 

"I need you to go upstairs and pack a bag. We're going to go and take care of grandma for a few days. She really needs us right now." 

Daimon's deep brown eyes widened. "Really? We can go to grandma and grandpa's house?" 

"Apartment," Ken corrected absently, already making plans. 

"But why are you crying?" he asked confused, reaching over to wipe the stray tears off his father's face. "Shouldn't we be happy to see them?" 

Ken stared up at his son, reminded once again of how Daisuke had looked the first time he'd seen him, long before he'd become the Digimon Emperor. "Grandpa...he died, Daimon. And grandma needs us to be there for her." 

~~~***~~~

"He said he's coming back as soon as he can get here, Daisuke. Thank you for staying with me." 

"I wish I could do more, Mrs. Ichijouji. If it wasn't for work-" 

"I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here." Unconsciously the older woman glanced towards where her husband always sat this time of day and started trembling. 

"I'll stay till Ken-ch...Ken gets here. That way you won't be alone." 

"Oh no!" she gasped. "You can't do that! If he saw-" 

With an ease born out of years of practice, Daisuke shrugged casually and nodded. "Then I'll leave Chibimon. And actually," he glanced down at his pager which hadn't gone off. "My boss just buzzed me. I hope its not another new case." The redhead smiled sadly and dropped a kiss on her tear-stained cheek. "If you need me for anything-" 

"I'll call. I promise. Arigato." 

"Onegai...you've done so much for me, just by letting me be here." He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on, settling the well-worn leather over his now broad shoulders. "Try to get some sleep. Unless Ken lives in town," _Which I **sincerely** doubt,_ "He wont' be here for several hours." 

"I...I'll try. Good night Daisuke." 

"Oyasumi." 

~~~***~~~

Ken slipped into one of the guest parking spaces and sighed in relief. _So far, so good_. Logic had dictated that his father would have been taken to the hospital closest to the Ichijouji residence, and luckily he'd been right. Against all odds, he'd even been fortunate enough that the physician who'd pronounced his father's...death was the one who'd answered his call. 

Carefully explaining just who his father had been, and who Ken himself was, he managed to get the doctor to agree to withhold information about his passing for twenty four hours. By the time the paparazzi got word that he'd be on his way to Tokyo, he'd be comfortably ensconced in his old room with Daimon. 

Though he considered them a nuisance, the press didn't really bother him. After all, he'd practically been raised before the camera; first watching Osamu, then having to deal with the media himself. But he'd be damned before he exposed his son to the same intense scrutiny, even if it was only for a few days. 

As annoying as his fame was to him, that wasn't Ken's greatest concern. Glancing to the left to make sure his son was still asleep in the passenger seat, he lowered his head against the steering wheel. In his mind's eye he saw him: his greatest weakness and strength. 

Motomiya Daisuke. 

He was half of his son's namesake, and the one person on two worlds he wanted to see more than anything. 

And the one he had to avoid at all costs. 

~~~***~~~

"He's here." 

"Excellent. And the boy?" 

"He brought him as well. They're staying in the Ichijouji apartment." 

A cold laugh echoed through the dingy basement. "We know how easy it was to bypass security." 

"So do you want me to take the kid tonight then boss?" 

There was a thoughtful pause while the question was carefully considered. "No. As much as I want _my_ son returned to me, taking him from a room that has a sixth degree judo black belt sleeping is just too risky. We'll take him at the funeral." 

"Wow, boss! What a great idea! Is that why you killed the old man?" 

"No, luring Ichijouji Ken back to Odaiba district was the main goal. Hurting him was just an added bonus. He'll pay for stealing my son from me...they'll all pay." 

~~~***~~~

_Three days...he's been in town for three days, and hasn't called me. **Why** hasn't he called?!?!_ Daisuke sighed as he escorted Miyako through the crowd towards the rest of the Digidestined. Everyone had chosen to come to the wake, honoring their former enemy's father. 

"Is Ken here yet?" his lavender haired companion hissed into his hear. 

"I don't _think_ so," he responded just as softly, keeping his face expressionless. 

"Look, there he is!" 

"It's Ichijouji Ken!" 

"A word, Ichijouji-sama!" 

A rippling gasp could be heard, then practically in one voice, "Ichijouji-sama, who's the boy?" 

The assembled Digidestined turned around in time to see Ken enter the room, a small child of six or seven years clinging tightly to his hand, looking around with wide deep brown eyes. 

Daisuke stared hungrily at the long unseen face, noting the changes time had wrought and finding no fault with the strength and maturity he could see in the sculptured planes of his beloved's face. His eyes ran possessively across the stiffly squared shoulders, down his still slender chest and stopped in stunned horror at the child. "H...He got married..." he whispered heartbrokenly. 

"He has a _son?_" Kari echoed, glancing at her husband. 

"Poor Daisuke," T.K. murmured softly in response. 

"Let's not jump to conclusions, guys. Maybe that's a distant cousin or something," Matt offered in the same tone the rest of his friends were using. The close group of friends hovered protectively just beyond Daisuke's shoulder, offering silent moral support as Ken seemed to sense their scrutiny and stiffened even more. 

The child tugged on the former Emperor's hand, and the Digidestined all watched his eyes light with a quiet joy as he knelt down. The young boy murmured animatedly for several moments, gesturing towards their little group. Ken nodded slowly and stood back up, leading the excited child towards them, and not meeting Daisuke's hurt expression. 

As the child stared up at the Digidestined in wide eyed innocence, Daisuke decided he couldn't wait any longer. "What the hell is going on, Ichijouji?" 

~~~***~~~

Two silent figures ghosted their way into the reception hall, panning the crowd in search of a small ruby and gold haired child. The taller of the two stopped at the edge of the shadows and smirked triumphantly. In a soundless whisper that would clearly carry his voice through the state of the art microphone attached to the inside of his cheek he reported in. "Found him Fujiyaki-sama. The moment Ichijouji-san turns his back, we'll grab him." 

"Excellent," the evil voice purred back in his assassin's ear. "Bring my son to me. We'll be ready the moment you give the signal." 

"Hai, sir." 

~~~***~~~

Ken blanched, but his voice stayed rock steady. "Su...Daisuke, this is my son Daimon. Little one, these are the Digidestined." 

"Dad! I'm not little anymore!" He stared at everyone and his large eyes went even more impossibly wide. "DAD! You never told me you know Ishida Matt! Oh wow, hi!!!" Daimon dropped his father's hand and stared at the older blonde in awe. "I've downloaded all your music Ishida-sama! You're the greatest!" 

Matt smiled cheerfully, wishing more of his fans were more like this young child than the screaming females he was used to. "I'm glad to hear that." 

"You have the coolest songs! Especially the slow ones...I like those the best!" Daimon missed the faint blush that spread across Tai's cheeks, knowing very well that Matt's love songs were all written for...and about him. "Dad! Why didn't you tell me you knew anyone famous?" His attention reluctantly drew away from the musician and stared at the rest of the team, his eyes once again growing large and then larger as he recognized not one but _two_ famous athletes, and the number one competitor to his father's company. "_Dad_," he hissed, his young voice carrying much further than he expected. "What's _he_ doing here?" 

Ken chuckled softly. "Daimon, this is Izumi Koushiru. You remember the Izzy I told you about?" 

His son nodded obediently. "The one partnered with Tentomon!" 

"That's Izzy." 

Daimon turned bright red in embarrassment and he dropped into a deep bow. "My humblest apologies, Izumi-sama." 

"That's quite all right," Izzy responded, hiding a grin. _He sounds just as polite as Ken did when he first joined us, always so worried about proper manners. It's quite cute._

Daimon looked up at the gently spoken reassurance and flashed a smile of gratitude before finishing his once over of his father's former teammates. His attention was then drawn to Daisuke; and he stared at the redhead with a thoughtful frown Chibimon's partner completely missed, since he was glaring daggers at his ex-boyfriend. "Daddy, is this the same person you have in that picture?" 

Ken barely managed to keep his embarrassed flush from spreading across his cheeks. "Daimon, go make sure Grandma is ok for me?" 

"Ok!" Flashing a huge grin at the Digidestined he turned and sped across the room, getting lost in the crowd of mourners. 

"I'm still waiting for an answer, Ichijouji." Daisuke growled, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring, radiating both anger and wounded pride. 

"What was the question again?" the genius asked softly, stalling for time and looking at anything but the one thing he wanted desperately to stare at. 

"I _asked_ you what was going on, who is he and why the hell didn't you tell anyone you got married?" 

Ken glanced around nervously, making sure his son was out of hearing range and sighed. "My father just passed away, Daisuke. Can this please wait till later?" 

"Don't you _dare_ address me by my first name you...you jerk! And no it can't wait! I've been waiting for you...obviously my mistake! Then again, I was stupid enough to believe you'd actually come _back_ for me! Don't you think I at least deserve an answer? Or aren't I worth even that?" The violet-eyed father jerked his head up at the pain throbbing in the redhead's voice. 

"Of course you deserve an answer. You're worth..." Ken trailed off, unsure how much to say with this unfamiliar, confidant young man before him. "I should go check on Mama," he murmured, shuffling his feet. 

"Your mother is standing with the Kamiyas' and your grandmother. She's fine. _You're_ not. And you're not moving till-" 

Daisuke was interrupted as Ken jerked wildly around at his beloved's offhand description. "What? Daimon isn't with her?" 

The taller boy hopped onto his tiptoes and took a careful headcount. "I don't see him, Ken. I'm sure he's fine. Probably by the snack tray." 

"No. He knows his grandmother needs him right now. He should be right there." Without waiting for the others, Ken shoved his way through the gathering with mindless intensity, his amethyst eyes sweeping the crowd. The Digidestined along with Daisuke exchanged puzzled frowns, especially since Ken should know children are definitely capable of taking care of themselves, but they silently trailed after the anxiously searching father. 

"Mama! Have you seen Daimon?" 

"I thought he was with you sweetie. Why, is something wrong?" Mrs. Ichijouji stared up at her son with tear-swollen eyes and a worried frown on her face. 

"I...I'm sure he's fine, Mama. Don't worry. He's probably in the restroom." He spun on his heel and started searching harder; growing more and more frantic with every passing moment. 

~~~***~~~

"We got 'em boss!" the kidnapper announced, throwing the wriggling burlap sack into the back of the small battered van. 

"Careful with him! That's my son you're manhandling!" 

"Sorry boss. He's been trying to get away. Kicked me in the face twice he did!" The heavily accented Scottish voice growled softly before reaching into the toolbox and grabbed a chemical icepack. 

"LEMME GO!!! I WANT MY DADDY!!!" Daimon wailed, desperately trying to get out of the bag. 

"You're Daddy's here, son. And soon you'll forget all about the man who stole you." 

"DADDY!!!!!" 

~~~***~~~

"He...he's not here." Ken sputtered out in a gasp. 

"Ken, calm down. He has to be here somewhere. Children don't just..." Tai trailed off, remembering how he and his friends first ended up in the Digital World and smiled sheepishly. "Children don't usually disappear," he corrected, glancing around again. "He's probably just found some little hole to hide in." 

"Daimon _wouldn't_ do that. He knows how dangerous..." He ran a trembling hand through his already mussed hair. "I have to find him." 

"Ken's right, he's not here," Daisuke murmured softly, just out of the genius's hearing range. "I _know_ how children think, where they're most likely to hide...and he's not in any of them." 

"That's because you never grew up," Kari teased softly, a thin line of worry between her brows. 

"Why didn't he tell me he got married, Kari? Why didn't he tell me he had a _son?_ I thought he..." He bit his lower lip in frustration before flushing in embarrassment at the pointed look his friend had on her face. "I should stop feeling sorry for myself and do what I do best, right?" 

"You said it, not me. Why don't you-" but the brunette noticed her words were being spoken to empty air, since Daisuke was making his way over to the small encircling of Digidestined around the frantic former Emperor. 

"Why would he run off? He's never done anything like this before!" 

Taking a deep breath, Daisuke reached deep into himself and pulled out the professionalism he'd so desperately need right now; since all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around Ken and tell him everything would be ok. "Are you absolutely certain he's run off?" 

"What else could it be? No one knows I have a son. I sent him past the media with my cousin and her three children..." 

_How could anyone not know you have a son, Ken?_ Daisuke wondered to himself as he crouched in front of his beloved. "Ken-" 

The amethyst-eyed genius leapt to his feet. "I have to find him. Maybe he ran outside! I'll start...whoa!" He fell back into his seat from a well-timed jerk on his free hand, and glared angrily at the redhead responsible. "I don't have time for this, Dai...Motomiya! My _son_ is missing!" 

"I know." 

"So let me-" 

With an agonized groan Daisuke slammed his hands against the sides of his skull in a desperate attempt to evade the sudden mind-splitting pain. "What the..." 

"Daisuke?" 

"What's wrong with him?" 

The concerned voices were drowned out by the terrified shrieks of 'Daddy' reverberated in his head, and his deep brown eyes stared sightlessly ahead as he was caught in the grip of his vision. 

_"I want my Daddy!" _

"Let my son out of the bag. He should get to see his real Papa-chan." Daisuke blinked at the sudden bright light assaulting his eyes and he blinked rapidly to get rid of the spots dancing before his...the child's eyes. 

_"You're not my Daddy! Take me back, or you'll make him mad!" _

"Your **Daddy** doesn't scare me, son. He stole you from me, both you and your mother. I'm just taking back what's rightfully mine. No child of mine will be raised by some blue haired, freaky fag. We're going home son." And a large dark-haired man loomed into view, his greasy mustache hanging limply over a cruel mouth. His small, beady black eyes stared possessively at him..._the child_ he firmly reminded himself as he blinked again and stared into warm worried violet eyes. 

"Daisuke!" 

"Give me something to draw with, quick!" Already the flashes of the man's face were starting to fade away, like fog in the early morning light, and he was determined to get down what little information he had so far. 

"I don't have time for this!" Ken snapped the moment he realized the redhead was fine. 

"_Make_ time, Ken. If I'm not mistaken, Daisuke just had a vision," Matt growled back as Izzy handed a pencil and a napkin to their investigator friend. 

"Do you recognize this man, Ken-chan?" The nickname slipped out in Daisuke's hurry to get the sketch completed and he practically shoved it into the genius's face. "Do you recognize him?" 

Ken stared at the sketch, going even paler. "Fujiyaka." 

~~~***~~~

"Hold him still." 

Daimon squirmed even more desperately as the beady eyed leader walked towards him, a large, scary looking needle held in one hand. "Lemme go! I promise I'll be good, honest!" The small child shuddered in terror. "Hate needles...DADDY!!!!" 

"I told you, _I'm_ your Daddy. You won't ever see that thief Ichijouji again." Fujiyaka stopped in front of his son, his ratty unkempt hair shimmering greasily in the faint lighting. 

Daimon's small back stiffened, and a glare of absolute hatred hardened his deep brown eyes. "Don't talk about my Daddy like that! He's not a thief, _you_ are!" 

"Want me to hit him for talking to you like that boss?" 

"No. Let him speak his mind, for now. Once this sets in, he won't remember anything I don't want him to." Lifting the needle, he checked the level of clear fluid in the syringe and smirked. "But he _will_ help us infiltrate his former caretaker's company. Ichijouji managed to get the drop on me once. This time, I'll be the one to destroy him...with the help of _my_ son." 

"NO! I won't let you hurt my Daddy, I won't!" The young boy struggled even more desperately, managing a lucky blow to the henchman's chin thanks to the naturally flexibility every child has. Unfortunately, instead of letting go, the Scottish assassin just held on tighter, growling softly under his breath. 

"You don't have a choice, son. You're finally home where you belong." And with those words, Fujiyaka injected his carefully concocted drug cocktail into the young boy's throat, and settled back to wait as the small redhead collapsed. 

~~~***~~~

"Who?" Daisuke asked carefully. 

Ken took a deep, steadying breath and let it out slowly. "Fujiyaka Odin. He was Ilessa-chan's ex-boyfriend." 

"Ilessa-_chan_?" Daisuke repeated, more than a hint of jealousy apparent in the two-word question. 

"Daimon's mother." Ken answered distractedly, staring at the rough sketch. "He's under the impression I stole her from him." _Which is the furthest thing from the truth._

"Why would he take your son, though?" Tai queried softly, when it was apparent no one else would. 

"Ilessa-chan chose to stay with me," the genius responded. "And Fujiyaka doesn't take no for an answer very well." _Not to mention he thinks shared blood makes him a father..._

"If you know him so well, do you have any idea where he'd take Daimon?" 

Ken reluctantly glanced at the redhead, memorizing the changes time had wrought. Daisuke was like a precious stone, polished by time until he glistened when the light struck. _He used to be a diamond in the rough...no, not a diamond,_ he corrected himself. _A ruby, a flawless ruby._ Shaking his head over his musings, he cursed softly. _How could I forget, even for a moment that that madman has my son!_

"Ken?" 

"It's nothing," he snapped angrily, though that anger was all directed inward. 

Unfortunately, Daisuke didn't know that, and he could clearly see the redhead bristle. _Like the fiery heart of a ruby...stop that!_ He shook his head again, catching the last half of Daisuke's furious retort. "...to help! Or is the great Ichijouji-sama too proud to ask for help from his _ex_-boyfriend?" 

_Ex...ex...ex..._ The words mockingly echoed in Ken's mind, swirling into a dizzying array of images of Daisuke; both past and present, all glaring accusingly at him. "NO!" 

Everyone stared at the genius in surprise at the sudden outburst, and the violet eyed man flushed. "I mean, of course I want help finding my son. But what can you do to help me?" 

"I'm a private investigator, Ken." 

"What?" He'd always assumed Daisuke would become an artist, with how talented the redhead had been when they were teenagers. 

"I'm a detective," Daisuke patiently repeated. "I find missing children." 

"He's one of the best there is," Kari chimed in. 

"Yeah, if anyone can find your son, Daisuke can." T.K. added proudly. Out of all the careers the Digidestined had ended up with over the years, Daisuke's was the one that helped people the most. 

"So I'll ask you again. Do you have any idea where this Fujiyaka might have taken your son?" 

~~~***~~~

"Wh...where am I? Daddy...DADDY!" The terrified child stared around the small room, curling into a small ball as he noticed rats, spiders and other creepy crawlers. 

"Shut up Sozoku!" 

The child cocked his head to the side, his fears momentarily forgotten at the bellowed cry. "Daddy?" 

A whip thin, greasy looking man opened the door and glared at the child. "I told you to shut up Sozoku." 

"A...Are you my Daddy?" the child questioned tremulously. "I...I don't remember so good right now." 

The man glared angrily, shoving one limp strand of long reddish black hair irritably over his shoulder. "I've told you to call me Papa-chan, Sozoku. Or do you want to stay in here even longer?" 

"No!" Sozoku squeaked, trembling in fear. "It's scary in here!" 

"Maybe next time you'll remember not to tell Papa-chan no, now won't you?" 

"Hai, Papa-chan. I'll remember. C...can I come out now?" 

"Later. I want you to remember this." Slamming the door behind him, Fujiyaka smirked in undisguised pleasure at the whimper of fear Daimon gave. _No, my son's name is Sozoku. And he will be a little thief when he grows up, after he helps me rob Ichijouji blind!_ Whistling cheerfully, he walked down the hall to check his video equipment. His son's education would begin in the morning. 

~~~***~~~

It had been a frustrating two weeks. There was no sign of Fujiyaka or Daimon anywhere in Odaiba, or the surrounding suburbs. Every lead the investigative redhead tracked down was either too cold to follow, or bogus to begin with, and Ken was slowly losing hope. 

And seeing his beloved so despondent was breaking Daisuke's heart all over again. _There has to be **some** clue, somewhere. People don't just disappear, unless..._ But he refused to even consider the possibility that Daimon might be dead. He would _not_ fail again, not this time. Ken needed him, and the redhead would be damned before he let him down. 

The visions weren't helping things either. He was actually starting to worry over them. They weren't coming in sight so much as feelings...first and foremost being terror, followed closely by guilt and shame. And every morning he woke up with a greater sense of urgency and a foul taste in his mouth that reminded him of something he'd had once long ago; though for some reason he felt _his_ experience with whatever it was hadn't left such a bad impression. "Ken, we'll find him. I promise you." 

"How?" the genius snapped back, his amethyst eyes alight with frustration and terror. "You expect me to just sit back and trust something I can't see or touch or prove even exists!" 

"No," Daisuke murmured, staring into those violet pools of agony, the chocolate warmth of his own gaze reaching out to sooth what pain they could with his words. "I'm asking you to trust me." As Ken flinched, the redhead's shoulders stiffened. "You didn't used to have a problem trusting me." 

"It's not that." 

"Then what _is_ it? Talk to me, please." 

"I...can't." Ken ran a trembling hand through his already rumpled blue locks and sighed. "At least, not like this. Maybe if Daimon hadn't-" A muffled gasp worked its way through his rigid control and he spun away from Daisuke. 

Daisuke wasn't going to let Ken run this time, however. No matter how the distraught father felt about him now, the redhead was still in love with him, and his instincts were screaming to go and comfort him. With a few silent steps he was able to reach out and pull Ken into a much-needed hug, tightening his grip when the older man tried to jerk free. "Let me help you," he whispered. 

"I...can't. Please, Daisuke, let me go...please." The words seemed practically torn from his throat, the echo of unshed tears throbbing in the pain-filled tones. 

"No." Urging Ken's head onto his shoulder, he gave into the overwhelming need to protect, if only for a few moments. "Shh...it's okay to cry, Ken-chan." 

Ken resisted for another moment then burrowed into the comfort Daisuke was offering. "If I start, I won't stop." 

"If you don't, you might not be strong enough to keep _him_ asleep." While he spoke, the redhead carefully shifted until they could both sit on the couch, making sure to keep his arms wrapped around Ken's trembling shoulders. 

"He's not a problem anymore," was the muffled response, since the genius currently had his face buried in Daisuke's broad shoulders. 

"He's not?" the redhead asked carefully, trying not to let the hurt he felt at Ken's murmured answer show. "Since when?" _Please say recently, please._

"Since before I met Ilessa." 

"So almost ten years." Daisuke stated flatly, going cold inside, though his hold on the former Emperor never loosened. 

"Nine," Ken answered, shifting to settled more comfortably against Daisuke and muffling a yawn. Within moments, the tense slender body enfolded in the redhead's embrace relaxed into sleep, unaware of the lone tear falling down Daisuke's cheek. 

~~~***~~~

"Please Papa-chan, don't make me. I promise I'll be good!" The young boy formerly known as Ichijouji Daimon stared at his 'father' in undisguised terror. 

"You've already disobeyed me, Sozoku. Do you know how?" Fujiyaka finished undressing and stood in front of his son, flaunting his nudity. The redhead nodded, staring at the rather obvious erection his father was sporting in wide-eyed terror. "What did you do son?" 

"I...I told you I didn't want to, Papa-chan." He hated doing this, almost more than anything else. He'd rather pose for the multitude of photographers his father brought around on a nightly basis that have to touch _that_. 

"You know," the older man remarked softly, padding over to adjust the angle on one of the video cameras, "I've been neglecting the twins' training. Maybe tonight you'd rather watch, then participate." 

The twins Fujiyaka was referring to were identical blonde haired blue eyed six year old girls with porcelain skin and hourglass figures even at their age. Their seraph-like grace was emphasized by the padded bra both were forced to wear; and by the wide-eyed looks of hopelessness and despair caught in their crystalline gazes. Until he'd gotten his son back, those two girls had been his biggest moneymakers. And not just for their photogenic qualities either. Both girls had a rather large circle of admirers who paid large sums of money to sleep with their favorite 'nymph'. He'd even been able to charge more once their cries of pain had faded. 

His son stared up at him in horror. He knew his father's temper, and the redhead felt responsible for the fragile girls. They reminded him of someone, but he couldn't remember who. Besides, he was older, so it was his responsible to take care of them. "Papa-chan, please! I'll do it. Whatever you want, just...don't be mad at me?" 

Fujiyaka turned and strode back to his small raised satin-covered platform, sprawling his limbs in such a way that not only would his erection be clearly visible to the camera, but his son obviously tending to the problem would also be easily seen. "You're willingly substituting yourself for them, son?" 

Flinching, the young boy nodded. He might not remember much before this living nightmare seemed to have started, but he knew what his father was after: and knew it would hurt. As his father moaned and groaned in his pleasure and the small redhead tried not to gag, his mind screamed for someone to save him. 

~~~***~~~

Daisuke froze as the vision rushed through him, forcing himself to be as objective as possible through the turbulent emotions. _Daimon..._

_I'll be good, I'll be good! Please Papa-chan don't...It hurts...It HURTS!_

The slight haze that always accompanied the redhead's visions ripped away and he saw and felt everything the child was experiencing in mind-numbing clarity as those two sentences echoed through his mind. Neon lights, the smell of brine and rotting fish. And a sign, 'Rio-Ohki Fish Distribution'. 

Ken awoke at Daisuke's snarled "That _bastard_!" The strong arms that had offered such warmth and comfort earlier now felt like bands of steel, and for one disorienting moment he would have sworn he'd been captured. 

Exhaustion had him muttering an endearment he hadn't voiced in years. "What the...Suke-chan?" Moments later he pulled free and spun to look at his clairvoyant friend. "Is it Daimon?" 

Instead of answering, the redhead jerked away from the bewildered father and ran to his computer. "Come on, come on!" The moment he saw his virtual desktop he clicked and immediately started a search for wharf bait shops. "Not here in Odaiba...no...no...damn it, where are they?" 

"What did you see?" 

"Lights," he answered cryptically, scanning the screen faster than Ken would have given him credit for. 

"Shouldn't you slow down?" the older man asked hesitantly. 

"I know what I'm doing. Now shut up and watch or go away! I don't have time...gotcha!" Hitting the print button on his keyboard quickly, Daisuke grabbed the printout and started racing for the door, his Digivice in hand. "Chibimon!" To his surprise, his partner had already digivolved to Veemon and was waiting for him. "How did you-" 

"I'm your fastest ride. 'Sides, I don't need you for _everything_," the blue Digimon answered dryly. "Roof?" 

Daisuke nodded in silent agreement, trusting his small dragon to follow him as he darted through the door and pounded up the stairs to the roof. 

~~~***~~~

As the redhead watched Ken tuck the exhausted child into bed, he finally let himself smile. Daimon was safe, and as an added bonus the person responsible was the mind behind the largest child prostitution rings in Eastern Asia. But before Daisuke would allow himself to go home, he was going to make sure _Ken_ was on his way to recovering as well. Especially since when they'd first spotted the missing Ichijouji, there were only two things he knew: an overwhelming desire to be free, and Daisuke himself. 

_With Ex-Veemon and Stingmon's help, finding the abandoned fish warehouse was ridiculously easy. Daisuke hadn't taken time to tell his violet-eyed friend where they were going, trusting his Digital partner to keep up. What was most important was getting to Daimon: fast. _

The exterior of the abandoned building gave it the appearance of falling apart at any moment. The windows had been boarded, along with all but one small door facing the salty bay behind them. Since it was after midnight, and the building was more than large enough to admit our digivolved partners, though both had needed to fold their wings tightly against their backs and crawl through the double doors. 

Ken had hissed questions as we methodically searched the building. He abruptly shut up when a muffled sob echoed down to us through an endless corridor. "Daimon!" 

Absolutely nothing Daisuke could do would have stopped the older man from tearing down the hall. With a well placed roundhouse the solidly built double doors flew open to reveal what the clairvoyant redhead had seen in his vision: Daimon cowering on some kind of platform, bruises liberally spread across his pale frame. A lank, greasy figure was just starting to bend over him, his face twisted into an obscene mix of pleasure and greed. "Smile for the cameras Sozoku, or I'll bring the twins up here." 

Just as Daimon started to obediently smile, Ken burst into the room. "Get away from my son!" Daisuke, Stingmon and Ex-Veemon had charged in right behind the outraged boy, the two Digimon trying to figure out just what was going on. The moment Stingmon spotted his partner's young child his wings snapped open and a rumbling growl echoed through the large room. 

"Ichijouji. I was hoping you'd show up. Sozoku, say hello to Papa-chan's biggest fan." Mechanically Daimon had raised his head and stared in stark terror at his father, absolutely no sign of recognition at the sight of Ken or the Digimon. 

Daisuke peered around his partner's wing, and Daimon's eyes had lit up. "Are you here to sa-" Fujiyaka roughly jerked the child to his feet by the lank reddish gold strands and smirked. 

"I don't know how you created those illusions behind you, Ichijouji, but you're too late. I have **my** son back, and there's nothing you can do about it." 

Daisuke watched Ken brush those same reddish gold bangs out of his son's face with infinite tenderness as he thought back. The pedophile had quickly changed his tune when he realized that the two 'illusions' were in fact very real. Stingmon and Ex-Veemon were so closely linked to their partner's hearts and minds that just sensing the rage both had been feeling was enough to trigger something neither had expected: the reappearance of Paildramon. 

Ken had had murder in his eyes as he lunged towards his son's abductor, but with a gentle touch of a massive hand, their merged Digimon had gestured towards the terrified girls in the corner, urged Daisuke towards Daimon and stalked towards Fujiyaka. Daisuke had watched the indecision on his boy...no, on his friend's face, and the sigh as he noticed his son complete attention fixated on the older redhead. 

He chuckled softly from the doorway and Ken glanced up at him questioningly. Motioning silently, Daisuke gestured towards the two Digimon curled at the foot of the bed, one soundly asleep, the other obviously keeping careful watch of the sleeping child. Slumping his shoulders, the older man nodded and silently slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

"What's so funny?" he murmured, staring enquiringly up at Daisuke. 

"Just remembering how that bastard nearly wet himself when Paildramon raised his blasters and growled 'Boo'." 

Ken reluctantly smiled in response. _That's not all I remember,_ he thought to himself, moving unerringly to the couch they'd both been curled up on earlier in the near dawn darkness. 

"Ken-chan," Daisuke called softly, following the sound of his beloved's footfalls. 

"Hai?" 

"We need to talk." 

~~~***~~~

"You're right. I need to thank you. Without you, I don't know if I would have ever-" 

In the darkness, Daisuke smiled. Ken was babbling, which meant he was nervous. And if he was nervous, then what he'd felt when their partner's had jogressed for the first time in nearly a decade must be true. "Ken-chan." 

"Don't call me that," the older boy whispered. 

"Why not?" 

"Because I don't deserve it. You of all people should know that." _No matter how much I **want** to keep hearing it...and you._

"Too bad that's not for you to decide. If I want to call the man I love 'Ken-chan', I will." The redhead listened to the sounds of Ken's stammered gasp as the first rays of the dawn's light seeped through the windows. "We still need to talk though." 

"L...love?" Ken repeated incredulously. "How can you still love me? I _left_ you." 

"I know." 

"I never called you!" 

"I know." 

"I'm a single father!" 

Daisuke nodded in the dim light, his rich red hair giving the illusion of gleaming. "Hai, I know. Ken-chan," He ignored the faint tremors running through the slender body seated next to him for the moment. If he reached out to soothe them away, he knew he'd never finish the conversation; and he had to know the truth. "Did you love her?" 

"Who?" Ken asked, the confusion evident in his voice as he stared at the shadowed form next to him. Absently he wished the light was stronger so he could see those gorgeous brown eyes. 

"Your wife. Did you love her?" Daisuke swallowed hard. "What I mean is, did you love her more than me?" He braced himself for the answer. Whatever it was, he could handle it, since he _knew_ Ken still loved him. He didn't expect the slightly hysterical laughter. "I don't see what's so funny," he grumbled. 

"Y...you think I...I was in _love_ with Ilessa?" Ken gasped between peals of quiet laughter. Daisuke nodded silently. "I was no more in love with her than I am with Kari-chan," he added once he'd gotten his mirth under control. 

"Then why...how..." the clairvoyant gestured weakly towards where Ken's son was sleeping. 

"She needed my help," Ken answered softly, his eyes glowing with a soft light as he remembered something from long ago. 

Daisuke suppressed the instinctive flash of jealousy as he stared into the soft violet orbs before him. _He_ wanted to be the one to bring that glow to his beloved's face. "Oh," he answered lamely. 

Ken stared blindly ahead, lost in memories of the past as the sunlight slowly crept in, haloing the dark furniture in dusky light. "Meeting her was definitely unexpected. She literally collapsed at my feet, needing help." 

"Oh," Daisuke repeated. _Maybe I don't want to hear this after all._

With a shake of his head, and a quick darting motion of his fingers to tuck a few stray azure strands behind his ears, Ken brought himself back to the present. Seemingly intent on staring at the carpet, he surreptitiously studied Daisuke from beneath long lashes. "I was on my way to see you," he admitted softly. 

Daisuke jerked his head up and stared at the older man next to him, his jaws opening and shutting soundlessly. _He was coming to see me!_ his heart sang before reality crashed back down. _He still had a baby with her..._

"...almost two months pregnant, and desperately trying to find someplace to hide from her boyfriend before he killed her." Ken finally lifted his head, staring into the ebony pools that were Daisuke's eyes in the soft morning light. It was still too dark for him to read the expressions in them, if he still could after all these years. 

"Fujiyaka?" Daisuke asked on a hunch. 

"Hai. The bastard had picked her up off the streets when she was just twelve years old, instilling this sense of loyalty in her. It wasn't until she was pregnant and he still kept beating her that she finally got the courage to run. When she found me, she'd been awake almost three days, and had just narrowly missed being caught by one of his thugs. She stared up at me with eyes so much like yours and begged me for help...and I couldn't say no." 

Daisuke listened in wonder as Ken detailed in surprising detail of how he'd managed to hide Ilessa, tapping into his rather impressive savings account to keep the girl safe and healthy, going into business for himself when he realized just how much money he'd need in order to insure both her and the baby's safety. And how, on her deathbed, just hours after Daimon had been born she'd gotten him to promise to keep her baby safe and out of his father's hands. 

Almost an hour later, the older entrepreneur finally stopped talking and stared silently at his friend, almost afraid of what he'd see. Daisuke was sitting stiffly, one arm carelessly thrown across the couch back, his broad shoulders tenser than he could ever remember seeing. Lowering his head, and grateful that his still long hair masked his heartbroken expression, Ken whispered, "No matter how much I hurt you, if I had to go back and do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm sorry...so sorry," he finished hoarsely. 

He was surprised to feel a strong warm hand cup his chin, forcing his head up. Reluctantly he complied, staring into rich melted chocolate that so resembled his son's eyes. "Ken-chan," Daisuke murmured, ignoring the slight flinch the boy before him made. "I have never been so proud of someone as I am of you right now. If you'd only let me know..." 

"I couldn't. I'd given up any right to do that when I left. Just because _I_ was helping her didn't mean you should, too. Besides, when I checked in with Mama, she said you were happy and seeing someone." 

Daisuke chuckled. "Ken-chan, she told you that for me. I was hoping you'd get jealous like you used to." 

This time Ken was the one to say 'Oh'. 

"I _love_ you. Even more than I used to, which is still hard for _me_ to believe. That love is boundless, endless and unconditional. Whether you want me or not, it's not going to change. And I'll wait, forever if you need me to, for you to decide what _you _want." 

While he was talking, Daisuke's thumb gently brushed over Ken's cheek with infinite tenderness. As he stared into Ken's eyes, his heart skipped a beat as he watched the violet melt into a luminescent amethyst. _I made his eyes light up, _he thought in wonder. The twin living precious gems sparkled with life and love, and listening to the silent urgings of his heart he leaned forward and brushed his lips against his beloved's, whispering against them, "I love you, Ken-chan." 

"I love you too," Ken answered back breathlessly, bringing their lips back together in a soul-healing kiss. 

~~~***~~~

_Dear Diary, _

Daddy said I should always write down how I feel. He said it would help me get better and teach me how to spell too, so here goes. We moved back home today, and Dai-sama came with us. Daddy said he was going to live with us like Mama-chan used to. I'm glad 'cause he makes Daddy happy. I don't 'member the last time I saw Daddy's eyes light up like they do now. Dai-sama's teaching me how to listen to my dreams. He thinks maybe someday I'll be able to help people like he does. I think they're gonna get married, and then I'll have two daddies. I'm so glad. I feel like I have a family just like everyone else. And at my next birthday Daddy promised the Wolves would perform! I hope that someday I can meet someone that makes me as happy as Dai-sama makes Daddy. And now that the mean man that used to scare Mama-chan is locked up I can go to a real school! And it was funny. Daddy finally told Dai-sama where my name came from, since it's so different than most Japanese names. He turned so red Daddy asked if we could cook dinner on his forehead. Then Dai-sama chased us both around the house trying to tickle us. I never even knew Daddy was ticklish. Uh oh, it's bedtime, and if they see me still up I'll have to do the dishes tomorrow. I hope I don't have the dream again. I don't want to remember...yikes, here they come! 

Quickly burrowing under the covers, Daimon shoved his diary under his pillow and put his finger over his lips as he stared at the two Digimon at the foot of his bed. Grinning conspiratorially, Chibimon and Minomon nodded in agreement, and the young redhead snapped the light off and shut his eyes just as his bedroom door opened. "Daimon," his father chided gently, Daisuke resting his chin on Ken's shoulder as he too stared into the room. 

"I was writing in my journal," he explained sheepishly, looking innocently at the two men in the doorway. 

"Are you done?" Daisuke asked softly, and Daimon nodded his head obediently. "Then go to bed." 

"And keep the light off this time," Ken added, unconsciously reaching up to brush his fingers over Daisuke's cheek. Daimon nodded again, smiling in approval at how happy his father looked. "Oyasumi." 

"Oyasumi Daddy, Dai-sama!" he chirped, burrowing into his pillow as his bedroom door shut silently, slipping into dreams where someday he could call Daisuke his Daddy too. 

Outside Daimon's bedroom, Ken leaned back against Daisuke's broad chest, lacing his fingers through those resting on his stomach. Daisuke bent his head and whispered in the blue-haired genius's ear "Happy?" 

He nodded turning his to rest his forehead against the redhead's throat, sighing. "I can't even begin to thank you." 

"For what, Ken-chan?" Daisuke asked, gently nudging Ken's head aside to nibble on the tempting expanse of throat bared just for him. 

"Saving me again," he whispered, a soft purr rumbling echoing in the still hallway. 

"I love you," Daisuke murmured in response, much more interested in the skin his lips were caressing than talking. 

Ken chuckled, spinning in the arms holding him and stared into the warm chocolate pools before him. "I should start calling you angel...my own personal guardian angel." 

The redhead tightened his arms, dragging his beloved closer and grinned. "Then let this angel wrap his wings around you and show you just where love can take you." 

Reaching up, Ken threaded his fingers in the silky strands at the base of Daisuke's neck, tugging his mouth within kissing distance. "I would fly with you anywhere, Suke-chan."


End file.
